Remember these Boise restaurants? The owner is opening a different one in Meridian
A new local Asian restaurant is coming to Meridian.
And although details are scarce about the menu, there’s one thing we do know: This ain’t the owner’s first rodeo.
Xin Chao Vietnamese restaurant is planning to open at 2970 N. Eagle Road, according to documents filed with the city. The new concept — which will add a kitchen hood in the former site of Urban Fox Coffee & Boba — is from longtime real estate agent An Nguyen, he confirmed in a message.
Nguyen’s hospitality background includes owning the now-defunct 208 Pho & Vegan brand. It operated two Boise locations. The original North End restaurant at 812 W. Fort St., which opened in 2016, is still in business. But it changed its name to Pho Real in 2022. Nguyen no longer owns it.
Nguyen didn’t offer any hints about Xin Chao’s culinary specifics. But when the last 208 Pho & Vegan closed, Nguyen told the Statesman that he had begun hunting for another restaurant space with a modified Vietnamese concept in mind. Operating 208 Pho & Vegan convinced him that a 100% vegan menu had potential.
“This time I’m going all the way to vegan-only,” he said at the time. “All Vietnamese vegan. It’s going to become an exclusive in town. ... I see the demand.”
But that was four years ago. Will Xin Chao go that direction or take a more traditional Vietnamese food route? Or another angle?
Meridian will have to wait and see.
